Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
C O R P O R A T E C I T I Z E N S H I P R E P O R T : T H E A F L A C W A Y
AFLAC 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
In Loving Memory – Paul S. Amos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Message from the Chairman & CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Governance the Aflac Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Promises Made, Promises Kept: Serving Customers the Aflac Way 5
The Aflac Way: Pioneering, Protecting and Prospering since 1955 . . . . . . 7
If You Take Care of the Employees, They Will Take Care of the Business 13
Serving Our Communities the Aflac Way 15
Protecting Our Environment the Aflac Way 21
The Aflac Way: Aflac Japan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Aflac 2014 Service and Recognitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
This publication is for informative purposes only and is not intended to be a solicitation.
1
PAUL SHELBY AMOS“MR. PAUL”
1926 - 2014
IN LOVING MEMORYPaul “Mr. Paul” Shelby Amos was one of the three founding brothers of Aflac. Beloved by all who knew him, Mr. Paul was the heart and soul of the company. He was not only a consummate businessman, but an eternal optimist, a philanthropist and a straight shooter. With Mr. Paul, integrity was non-negotiable.
Respected throughout the industry, Mr. Paul left a huge footprint on the landscape of voluntary insurance. He pioneered Aflac’s innovative “cluster selling” strategy, in which the company’s sales representatives approach businesses to make sales pitches to groups of employees rather than to individuals. Cluster selling was cited by the New York Times in 2014 as a reason for Aflac’s growth into a “giant that insures more than 50 million people, and has $121 billion in assets and 185,000 agents worldwide.” It remains a standard strategy for sales today.
Mr. Paul and his wife Jean touched the lives of many through their community service, endowments and scholarship programs. He was described as both a gentleman and a gentle man. He will be missed, but his legacy lives on through a company that remains committed to his values and dedicated to the proposition that honesty and accountability matter.
2
When Aflac was founded 60 years ago,
it was founded on a bedrock of ethics,
integrity, kindness and fairness Those
tenets were outlined in a simple, leath-
er-bound book titled “The Aflac Way ”
Today, six decades on, every new Aflac
employee receives a copy of this small
but powerful book that outlines how we
treat our customers, employees and the
communities we serve
In my 25 years as Aflac’s CEO, we’ve done
our best to keep the promises outlined in
“The Aflac Way ” One way is by paying our
policyholders’ claims as quickly as possible
Now, you might ask, “Isn’t that what every
insurance company is supposed to do?”
Indeed it is But, sadly, not every insurance
company focuses on paying claims, and
certainly not at the speed at which Aflac
pays them In fact, we recently introduced
the industry-leading One Day PaySM
initiative The goal? To process eligible
claims in just one day, a speed that’s almost
unheard of in our industry
If you’re wondering why we think it’s
so important to pay eligible claims so
rapidly, the reason is simple: We want
our customers to focus on what’s most
important – getting well – and not on how
they’ll pay the bills And the good news
is that it’s working Take, for example,
policyholder Debra Dodson, who suffered
a ruptured disc in her neck: “Having
Aflac helped to take away the stress of
worrying about how I was going to pay
my bills. With the amount of money I got
back from Aflac, I was able to pay my bills
for six months. What shocked me so much
about Aflac was how speedy they were.”
Then there’s Michael Nyland, whose
wife was critically injured in a motorcycle
accident: “Our liquid assets were quickly
consumed by out-of-pocket expenses,
copays, coinsurance, etc. Several weeks
after the accident, it dawned on me that
I had Aflac. My Aflac agent promptly
engaged the claims expert in her office
to assist. Three days later, I had a direct
deposit in my account that caught us up
and continues to give me the assistance
to help provide home care for my wife.”
When Debra and Michael paid their
premiums, they purchased our promise
to be there for them in the worst of times
They and thousands of other individuals
and families know that at our company, a
promise made is a promise kept – because
that’s the Aflac Way What’s more, doing
business the Aflac Way has blessed us with
remarkable success Our annual revenues
have grown from less than $3 billion to
more than $23 billion, we employ nearly
5,000 people in the U S, and more than
70,000 independent agents and brokers
sell our products Our workforce is diverse
– women comprise about 70 percent of
our staff, and more than 40 percent of our
employees are minorities We’ve been on
Ethisphere’s list of World’s Most Ethical
Companies since 2007 and Fortune’s
list of 100 Best Places to Work for 17
straight years
While we take pride in those external
accolades, it’s the letters of thanks from
our customers that are our greatest reward
This report tells our story and explains why
we receive those letters daily We hope
you’ll enjoy learning more about corporate
citizenship – the Aflac Way
Daniel P. Amos
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Aflac, Aflac Incorporated
LETTER FROM
DANIEL P. AMOS, CHAIRMAN AND CEO
“We recently introduced
the industry-leading One
Day PaySM initiative. The
goal? To process eligible
claims in just one day,
a speed that’s almost
unheard of in our industry.”
3
GOVERNANCE
THE AFLAC WAY
4
Governance the Aflac Way
As a Fortune 500 company (appearing in the top 150 portion
of the list) with annual revenues of $23 9 billion, Aflac places a
premium on ethics and integrity We call this doing business the
“Aflac Way ” We have high expectations of all employees – from
the longest tenured to the most recently hired – and those
expectations are outlined in our company code of conduct
You’ll find it on our website, Aflac com
Our spirit of responsibility, caring and compassion is also illumi-
nated in our Seven Commitments to Customer Service These
commitments are the ultimate examples of doing business
the Aflac Way The tenets may sound simple – they include
communicate regularly, know your stuff, shoot straight and
cover the customer, not your behind – but they’re courtesies
rarely found in today’s hard-driving business world
Aflac’s commitment to ethics, sustainability and transparency
goes beyond just our employees; it extends to the board level,
which includes seven principle committees These include
the Audit, Executive, Compensation, Pension, Acquisition,
Sustainability and Corporate Governance Committees:
• The members of the Audit, Corporate Governance and
Compensation Committees are independent directors
• In addition to maintaining a Sustainability Committee
helmed by the board of directors, company employees
lead Aflac’s Green Committee This group serves in an
advisory capacity and reports to the board several times
each year Aflac’s sustainability reporting is informed by
Global Reporting Initiative, or GRI, index guidelines
• Aflac maintains several other employee-led committees
that provide up-to-date information to the CEO and
board of directors in a timely fashion These include
committees focused on corporate social responsibility
as well as on diversity and donations
Aflac has numerous primary stakeholders In addition to our
environment and the communities in which we live and work,
these stakeholders include our policyholders, shareholders
and bondholders; suppliers; employees; agents; brokers and
the employers who offer Aflac to their workers We regularly
communicate with these individuals to ensure they’re informed
about our latest initiatives and the strength of our company
We also listen to them In fact, as a result of a shareholder’s
request, we’ve conducted shareholder votes at each annual
meeting since 2006 to consider our processes for compen-
sating top-level executives This initiative is commonly referred
to as Say on Pay, and Aflac was the first publicly traded
company in the United States to conduct such votes
Aflac maintains an active role in the public policy arena, and
we do so with an eye to complete transparency In addition
to complying with all state and federal regulations, we take
additional steps to ensure that the public and regulators remain
fully informed For example, beginning in 2012 the company
went beyond SEC regulations by posting political contributions
on Aflac com
We are proud of our record for maintaining a strong reputation
for corporate governance and integrity In fact, the Ethisphere
Institute, which gauges corporate ethics, has seen fit to bestow
upon Aflac its World’s Most Ethical Companies award for nine
consecutive years In fact, Aflac is the only insurance company
in the world to receive this award every year since its inception
in 2007
At Aflac, we believe in doing business the right way. In fact, walk the halls of Aflac’s corporate headquarters and you will see constant reminders about what it means to conduct business the Aflac Way.
Aflac Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications Catherine Blades and Senior Manager of Corporate Communications Jon Sullivan accept Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies award from Ethishere CEO Tim Erblich (middle).
5
When families and individuals elect to do business with
Aflac, they’re putting their faith in a promise – in our word
that we’ll be here to help support them during some of the
most emotionally and financially difficult times of their lives
Over the past 60 years, generations of Americans have
learned that Aflac makes good on its obligations and that
we mean it when we say we’re committed to doing business
in a compassionate, caring and trustworthy manner
We receive more than 100 letters each month from
people whose faith in our company has been justified
While we’re blessed to receive numerous honors from
industry experts each year, it is these letters from all
corners of the United States that demonstrate just how
rewarding our work can be
Lois Grigg, Arkansas – “Aflac employees ... are one
of a kind”
I am writing this letter to let everyone who reads it
know how much I appreciate what Aflac did for me
when I was at the worst and darkest point in my life.
I was given the news that I had breast cancer, and I
was also going through a divorce. I was unable to work
and unsure how I was going to make it on my own.
Aflac sent me a benefit check after processing my
claims on my Aflac cancer insurance policy. This
helped to take the stress of the financial burdens off
of me, and let me focus on my health and recovery.
I could not believe how well I was treated by the
Aflac employees; they really are one of a kind. You
never know when your life will change, and I am so
thankful to have had them in my life at that time. I
have told everyone I care about and love that
they need to apply for Aflac insurance policies.
Thank you for everything you did for me when I needed
you the most.
PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT: SERVING CUSTOMERS
THE AFLAC WAY
Governance the Aflac Way
Continued page 6
6
Sandra Mitchell, Wyoming – “Thank goodness for
the Aflac Duck”
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2007.
Although I had been having yearly mammograms for 25
years, they did not detect the cancer; I did. It was already
locally advanced, having spread to 10 of 14 lymph nodes
with a mass over an inch large in the left breast.
My treatment was rough. It included a mastectomy, 16
weeks of chemotherapy and 36 daily radiation treat-
ments. Making matters even more challenging was that
the treatment center is three hours from my home over
snow-packed and icy roads in the winter and spring.
My health insurance covered most of the medical costs
after the out-of-pocket expense, but it didn’t help me with
my living expenses. Without Aflac’s help, I would
never have been able to keep up with my basic living
expenses. I had to take eight weeks off work, move to
Salt Lake City, rent an apartment there, and still maintain
my monthly mortgage and utility payments at home.
Without Aflac, I don’t know what I would have done. Thank
goodness for the Aflac Duck!
Steve Kemp, Illinois – “Some of the best money
we’ve ever spent”
We had a bad car accident. My wife was treated and
released, and I was hospitalized for two weeks. Without
our Aflac policies, we would have been in trouble.
We received benefits on our accident policy, which helped
us to pay the deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses
on our health insurance policies. I was off work for three
months from the injuries I sustained, which were seven
broken vertebrae, six broken ribs and a broken sternum.
The disability policy helped us to pay our bills while
I was off work, which kept us from bankruptcy. The
benefits allowed my wife to work her normal schedule
and care for me without concern for my lack of income.
We were lucky to have survived this accident and
because of these policies, we were able to stay
afloat and we were able to give back to the fire
department who gave so much for us that day.
Aflac policies are some of the best money we’ve
ever spent.
Continued from page 5
7
PIONEERING, PROTECTING AND PROSPERING
THE AFLAC WAY
8
Pioneering, Protecting and Prospering Since 1955 The Aflac Way
How do people describe a company like Aflac? It usually involves words like insurance, liability, deductible and even indemnity But if we at Aflac were asked to describe what we do, we’d use very different descriptions We’d say we’re pioneers, protectors and even prosperers Here’s why:• We are among the pioneers of our industry Now, some
people hear the word “pioneer” and think of dusty trails and covered wagons But it applies to anyone who’s first at something Consider, for example, business pioneers like Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Steve Jobs of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon – even Michael Jordan, who built a billion-dollar-per-year corporation and pioneered an era in which athletes make more money endorsing products than they make playing sports
At Aflac, we’re pioneers and always will be Think about it: We helped invent an industry – a whole new marketplace We help bring supplemental insurance to the world That is an amazing thing Not many companies can claim that they were on the ground floor at the start of an entire industry
• We’re protectors – and by that, we mean we help protect the dreams of thousands of individuals and families whose lives and livelihoods are threatened by illness or injury And, internally, we protect and support each other as we strive to achieve our own dreams
• Finally, we prosper. We prosper collectively as a company and individually as employees and agents representing one of the top insurers in the world We help our policyholders maintain their prosperity through ownership of our products, and we help our shareholders, who rely on our growth and success to affirm the trust and confidence they’ve afforded us through their investments
At Aflac, we’ve done all these things – pioneered, protected and prospered – since 1955 These are powerful words that add up to a powerful statement And we’d like to add one more “P” word to the list: pride We’re proud of what
we’ve achieved together, year in and year out, not only for ourselves, but for those who look to us for strength and stability during some the worst times of their lives
Let’s take a closer look at what we do at Aflac, starting with our roles as pioneers: When brothers John, Paul and Bill Amos founded Aflac back in 1955, they weren’t just traveling the road less taken – they were the insurance version of Lewis and Clark, exploring products and sales strategies that were off the grid…way off the grid
These men helped pioneer supplemental insurance before many of us were even born In their first year of business, they sold a respectable 6,426 policies But they weren’t interested in being one-hit wonders – they kept the innovation going in 1958 by developing their ground-breaking cancer expense insurance policy, and then they followed it up by pioneering cluster-selling techniques (work site sales) They stepped it up again with policies sponsored by employers and funded by payroll deductions
And they had another huge idea in 1974 – Aflac became just the third American company licensed to sell insurance in Japan We offered a product – cancer insurance – in that country at a time when cancer awareness was growing A mere decade later, Japan accounted for two-thirds of our revenue and approximately
70 percent of our earnings Today, it accounts for about 75 percent
Combine 60 years, more than 70,000 associates and an unquantifiable amount of blood, sweat and tears and it’s no surprise that a whopping 50 million people worldwide are covered by Aflac, Aflac Group and Aflac Japan
You know, a lot of companies come up with one good
idea and use that one concept – that firing of a single
synapse – as the cornerstone of an entire business But
at Aflac, we’re always in the business of pioneering
We know a company that doesn’t continuously innovate – a
company that rests on its laurels – will eventually become
irrelevant For example, there are newspaper
executives who didn’t see the warning signs posed
by the Internet, finding themselves not only holding
the presses, but shutting many of them down
At Aflac, we continue to ask ourselves whether we’re resting
on our laurels, whether we’re staying too long at our own
party And, we’re pleased to say, irrelevance isn’t part
of our vocabulary
We’ve certainly been part of pioneering how and what
we sell, but we’ve also help pioneer – and set the standard
for – the servicing of business once it’s on the books
We’re forerunners in claims handling and recently became
the first voluntary insurer to introduce One Day PaySM
We believe good service is how we fulfill our promise to
be there for our policyholders in their times of need
From humble beginnings back in 1955, Aflac became a pioneer in the voluntary insurance industry, protecting its policyholders while on its way to becoming a prosperous, $23 billion Fortune 500 company.
9
Like Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs were to technological innovation, the Amos brothers, Paul, John and Bill, were among the pioneers in the insurance industry.
10
Customer ServiceWe take our customer service promise and build on it by continuously examining our customers’ needs – by assessing and reassessing our product portfolio to ensure that the businesses, individuals and families who rely on us to help protect their financial security have access to the products they want and need. In fact, our goal is to figure out what they want and need before they have any idea that they want and need it.
As one of the industry’s pioneers, Aflac continues to innovate, now offering customers One Day PaySM with Aflac SmartClaim® – which allows eligible claims to be paid in just one day!
One Day PaySM available for most properly documented, individual claims submitted online through Aflac SmartClaim® by 3 PM ET. Aflac SmartClaim® not available on the following: Short Term Disability (excluding Accident and Sickness Riders), Life, Vision, Dental, Medicare Supplement, Long Term Care/Home Health Care, Aflac Plus Rider and Group policies. Aflac processes most other claims in about four days. Processing time is based on business days after all required documentation needed to render a decision is received & no further validation and/or research is required. Individual Company Statistic, 2015.
11
In Disability insurance, where we became the first company to offer a true guaran-teed-issue product.
In Hospital insurance, where we created the concept of specialized benefits.
In Dental insurance, where we pioneered open networks.
In Vision insurance, where we were the first to offer benefits for eye diseases, eye surgery and progressive blindness.
And in the creation of Intensive Care insurance as well as in step-down coverage.
Over the Years, We’ve Been Way Out Ahead of our Rivals in a Mind-boggling Number of Ways
Our entrepreneurial spirit, our drive to be industry pioneers, hasn’t faded over time We’re risk-takers and deal-makers We even took a risk by introducing the Aflac Duck – a risk that has paid off in name and brand recognition that’s almost unimaginable But there’s more:
• We pioneered SmartApp®, making Aflac the first company to allow customers to electronically become policyholders (and, in the process, receiving the Computerworld Smithsonian Award for Excellence in Technology)
• In 2007, Aflac became the first publicly traded company to give its shareholders “Say on Pay,” which meant they had the unprecedented power to determine whether our executives’ compensation was appropriate relative to company success
Most companies are afraid of failure As Aflac CEO Dan Amos has said so many times, success requires risk It also requires acceptance and understanding that not everything we try is going to work out the way we expect or want it to At Aflac, we take calculated risks
And most of the time, those risks pay off In the rare instances that they don’t, we move forward quickly
Next, let’s talk about protecting In many ways, Aflac is in the business of helping protect dreams – those of our agents, our employees, our policyholders and the accounts we do business with That’s a good thing, because as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams ”
We wish we had records of claims going back to the year Aflac was founded, because the comparison between 1955 and today would be absolutely mind-boggling We can tell you this, though: In 1971, we paid out just over $2 million in claims In 2014, the total had grown to nearly $13 billion And how did that $13 billion help protect the dreams of those who were counting on us? It went toward paying monthly mortgages and keeping roofs over families’ heads It went toward electric bills and keeping children warm at night It went toward grocery bills that kept food on tables It went toward car payments, airline tickets and hotel bills that ensured adults and children could travel to get treatment for heart disease, cancer, burns, leukemia and any number of other serious illnesses and injuries that have the power to destroy lives – to destroy dreams
Continued page 12
12
When we talk about the protection Aflac helps provide, we usually speak in terms of terrible diseases – illnesses whose very names have the power to terrify But sometimes even seemingly minor injuries have the power to trigger financial devastation Our policies sometimes help folks who find themselves in very unusual situa-tions Not just the routine broken leg or sprained wrist we’re accustomed to, but strange circumstances like:
• The claimant who was attacked by a bush hog
• The horse and buggy driver whose vehicle tangled with a car
• And the claimant whose car was hit by a cow
These situations might not be as life-altering as a cancer diagnosis or a heart attack, but those people needed us too And we were there to help protect them, just as we’d promised
How grateful are our policyholders for the protection we help provide? Extremely – and we receive about 100 letters each month from those eager to express their appreciation Some letters are sad, like those from policyholders who want to thank us for easing their burdens in their final days Others are intentionally self-deprecating, like the letter from the woman who fell in her high heels or the one from the grandmother who injured herself while roller skating
No matter how grave the illness or how serious the injury, we’re charged with helping protect policyholders’ finances and dreams When you think about it, isn’t that a wonderful responsibility to bear? It’s an honor to know that on any given day, there’s a chance we’ll write a policy that can help a family maintain its lifestyle, overcome adversity or help protect its dreams
Finally, let’s talk about prosperity Sometimes, especially during tough times – times when a stumbling economy, changes to health care laws or other external challenges make goals seem impossible to attain – it’s easy to forget about the prosperity Aflac has brought to so many people, including our company’s agents, brokers and employees
But what about the prosperity of those who’ve put their faith and their financial futures in Aflac’s hands by investing in our company? Aflac’s initial shareholders, those who saw our company’s potential when it was in its infancy and
purchased 1,000 shares of stock, paid $11,000, or $11 per share, for their investments After 28 stock dividends or splits – the last in 2001 – 1,000 shares have grown to more than 1 8 million shares, excluding reinvested cash dividends
What does all of that mean in plain English? It means that those forward-thinking shareholders – those who in 1955 had the foresight to envision the prosperity Aflac could bring them –received about $3 million last year in cash dividends alone It means that at the close of trading on April 30, an $11,000 initial investment was worth an incredible $119 million
Of course, our lawyers insist we remind you that past performance is no guarantee of future results, but we think you would agree that those numbers represent prosperity by anyone’s definition of the term We also think you would agree that our continued efforts to remain at the top of our industry point to the probability that Aflac will grow stronger and more dominant in the decades to come
So, there you have it: pioneering, protecting and prospering since 1955 These are the words – the actions – that have defined us for six decades and will continue to do so for generations to come
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14$-
$0.20
$0.40
$0.60
$0.80
$1.00
$1.20
$1.40
$1.60
ANNUAL CASH DIVIDENDS PAID PER SHARE**Aflac 2014 Year in Review
Because of Aflac’s smart stewardship of the company’s assets, shareholders have prospered through 32 consecutive years of increased dividends.
Continued from page 11
13
So how do you get your employees to honor the company’s
pioneering, protecting and prospering ways? At Aflac, the
secret sauce has always been in the way we treat the people
who keep the business going As our founders often said,
“If you take care of the employees, they will take care of the
business ” It is a creed upon which Aflac was built, and it holds
just as true today
That’s why Aflac not only pays competitive wages for
employees, but every single worker is a profit sharer earning
annual bonuses based on personal and company performance
That’s everyone, from the CEO down to the newly hired worker
In fact, Aflac was a true pioneer when in 2008 the company
held the first-ever shareholder vote on executive compen-
sation, often called “Say on Pay ” This nonbinding vote was
unique in that it was the first such election held at a publicly
traded company in America
And in May, Aflac opened its Career Success Center, a new,
fully staffed career counseling office that has been warmly
received To date, more than 300 people have held appoint-
ments with career counselors, and remarkably, almost 25
percent of those individuals have seen their career path
enhanced, often with promotions
Speaking of “protecting,” Aflac also helps protect the ones
we love: our children Aflac offers the largest on-site child
care facility in corporate Georgia at its facilities in Columbus
The company also houses fully equipped exercise facilities
and several miles of walking trails at its campuses to help
employees maintain their personal well-being as they help
maintain the overall health and wellness of our business
There is nothing in the rule book that says pioneering,
protecting and prospering can’t also be pleasurable Each year,
Aflac rewards its employees with a giant celebration called
Employee Appreciation Week, or EAW For five work days, the
company holds raffles for prizes such as high-tech electronics,
gift cards and trips to special places It all culminates with a big
party with even more prizes and more entertainment To see
firsthand what EAW week looks like, paste this address into
your Internet browser and have a look: http://www.mnn.com/
food/healthy-eating/sponsorvideo/all-its-quacked-up-to-be-
aflac-recognizes-workers-with-employee.
Aflac believes in protecting the dreams of its employees so that the employees can help protect our policyholders and our shareholders. In May 2014, Aflac President Teresa White and Senior Vice President of Human Resources Matthew Owenby cut the ribbon for the company’s new mentoring center called the Career Success Center where employees can come to seek advice about their careers. Thousands of Aflac employees have taken advantage of this new way to help advance their careers by contributing to the company mission.
IF YOU TAKE CARE OF THE EMPLOYEES, TH EY WIL L TAKE CARE OF T HE BUSINE S S
Pioneering, Protecting and Prospering since 1955 the Aflac Way
14
Employee diversity the Aflac Way
Aflac was founded on the principles of caring, respect, dignity and fairness Our commitment to diversity is an extension of those principles We take pride in the fact 67 percent of our corporate workforce is comprised of women, that 43 percent of Aflac employees are minorities – and, perhaps most impressively, that 33 percent are minority women
In 2014, Aflac continued its drive for diversity and our efforts did not go unnoticed: • For the fifth consecutive year, we were honored to be
included among LATINA Style’s Best Companies for Latinas • We were once against listed on Hispanic Business
Magazine’s list of Best Companies for Diversity
• Black Enterprise Magazine listed Aflac as a Top 40 Best Company for Diversity for the ninth time
• The Human Rights Campaign, which works to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, awarded Aflac a score of 85 out of a possible 100 on its Best Places to Work 2015 Corporate Equality Index
It’s not just external accolades that inspire us, however We promote diversity internally through the activities of our Diversity Council In 2014, we continued to celebrate the richness of our differences During our annual Diversity Week, for instance, well-received activities such as our “Quacktastic Race” and “Taste of Diversity” increased awareness and appreciation of our varied backgrounds and cultures We also continued our monthly “Take 5” intranet series, which features members of our executive-management team addressing various diversity-related topics Here’s a look at Aflac’s diversity by the numbers:
Aflac has achieved a variety of accolades for its remarkable diversity, which is a significant priority at the company. Seen here is the employee-led Diversity Committee along with CEO Dan Amos in front, third from left.
67% Aflac employees are Women
43%Aflac employees are Minorities
33% Aflac employees are Women Minorities
22%Aflac officers are Minorities
28%Aflac officers are Women
Supplier Diversity:
the Aflac Way
Aflac has always been a major supporter of workforce diversity and that support naturally extends to the companies we do business with While diversity isn’t our only consideration when assessing new and existing vendor relationships, it plays a major role in our decision-making process
Our nation’s demographics are changing and Aflac is reaching out to an increasingly diverse set of accounts, customers and communities After all, if we want these individuals and groups to do business with Aflac, we must also do business with them Identifying capable and qualified minority- and women-owned businesses isn’t difficult: Georgia, the state in which Aflac’s home office is located, is ranked first in the nation for growth in women-owned firms and second in the number of African-American owned businesses
At Aflac, we want to be known for the support and mentoring of suppliers through our Supplier Diversity Program To that end, we experienced significant gains in our diverse-supplier spend, increasing it from 8 percent in 2013 to 10 percent in 2014 In 2015, we will launch a supplier diversity section on our Internet site, Aflac com
We not only commit to supplier diversity financially, but also by participating in trade shows and sponsoring business-development events Our efforts, however, don’t stop there: Aflac for several years has participated in the Mentor Protégé Connection Program, which is sponsored by the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council In 2014, Aflac was the first company to participate in an interview on the council’s Business Radio X, which broadcasts in the Atlanta area In addition to reaching out to women and minorities, Aflac also reaches out to the LGBT community through strategically placed advertising campaigns and events
Aflac was founded on the principles of care, respect, dignity and fairness Our commitment to diversity is an extension of those
principles Our involvement in diversity outreach strengthens
our culture, allows us to develop relationships within new and
underserved markets, and positions us as a provider of choice for
Americans of all ages, genders and backgrounds
Aflac Director of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement along with Josie Alexander, Esq. of Alexander and Associates.
15
Twenty years ago, a young mother named Vicki Reidel reached
out to Aflac CEO Dan Amos for help Vicki’s baby, Ansleigh,
was undergoing leukemia treatment at what is now Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta The floor on which children like Ansleigh
received cancer treatment was in serious need of renovation,
and Vicki asked for $25,000 to get the job done Amos mulled
over Vicki’s request and came up with a better solution: Instead
of contributing $25,000, he pledged $3 million and asked that
the treatment center be renamed the Aflac Cancer Center
Aflac reinforced its commitment to fighting childhood cancer
in January 2014, when the company pledged to surpass $100
million in contributions to the Aflac Cancer Center by the end
of 2015 The effort is well ahead of schedule: Contributions
reached the $95 million mark last year and are amassing quickly
Much of the growth is attributable to the generous spirit of
Aflac’s independent sales agents More than 16,000 agents
donate a combined $425,000 each month to the Aflac Cancer
Center directly from their commission checks
Cancer is the primary death-causing illness among children
under the age of 15, but less than 5 percent of government
medical funding is allocated to children’s cancer research
Aflac believes men and women who dedicate their lives and
Then and now: Ansleigh Riedel, who inspired Aflac to join the fight against childhood cancer, today is as a nurse at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES THE AFLAC WAY
Pioneering, Protecting and Prospering since 1955 the Aflac Way
Continued page 16
16
Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Tom Glavine was among the honorees at a 2014 Duckprints event in Atlanta.
Four honorees from the Duckprints event in Sacramento, California, pose with the Aflac Duck.
Center: Aflac Group COO Dan Lebish unveils a new Duckprints plaque at Palmetto Children’s Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina.
careers to the research and treatment of children’s cancer are
true heroes That’s why we celebrate these special individuals
through our ongoing Duckprints initiative In 2014, Aflac
conducted Duckprints-related fundraising and awareness
events in Columbia, South Carolina; Atlanta; Houston; and
Sacramento, California
The use of the hashtag #Duckprints on social media rose
by a whopping 2,000 percent and there were nearly
500,000 social media engagements The company drove
the Duckprints message home by conducting real-time
Twitter “parties” to build awareness and raise funds as well as
continued its Aflac Holiday Duck program Since 2001, Aflac
has partnered with Macy’s to produce and sell the Holiday
Duck 2014’s version was modeled after the Aflac Duck that
appeared in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York
City Sales of the 6- and 10-inch replicas increased by nearly
10 percent over 2013 and raised more than $250,000 for the
fight against childhood cancer
To help raise funds and awareness about childhood cancer
and its Duckprints campaign, Aflac donates $2 to the Aflac
Cancer Center for Duckprints-related mentions on social
media Aflac also maintains the aflacduckprints com website,
where users can nominate unsung heroes in their communities
who have made differences in the lives of children and families
facing cancer
Check out Mother Nature Network’s coverage of the Aflac
Duckprints event in Columbia, South Carolina, right here: http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-ating/sponsorvideo/heroes-in-the-fight-against-childhood-cancer-honored-at-aflacs.
Continued from page 15
17
Aflac Duck Gives Parade-Goers a Turkey Day Treat
The Aflac Duck once again took part in the Macy’s Thanksgiving
Day Parade in 2014 Eleven-year-old childhood cancer survivor
Austin Freeman from the Aflac Cancer Center in Atlanta was
selected to enjoy the trip of a lifetime and was on hand to
see the Duck “balloonicle” cruise down New York City’s 6th
Avenue He also toured the Macy’s Parade Factory in New York
City, where he learned how the iconic balloons are made, and
was invited to Balloonfest, where Macy’s introduces its latest
creations to the media
The 2014 balloon was designed to look like the Aflac Holiday
Duck, which the company sells every year with all of the
proceeds going to the fight against childhood cancer
To see a video account of Austin’s big trip to New York City,
visit http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/sponsorvideo/
austin-s-balloon-adventure-childhood-cancer-survivor-vis-
its-macy-s.
In October, Pink is the Word
In addition to crusading against childhood cancer, Aflac
supports the efforts of the American Association for Cancer
Research Founded in 1907, the AACR is the world’s oldest
and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing
cancer research and to preventing and curing the disease
In 2014, Aflac introduced its “This Duck Wears Pink” campaign,
a national breast cancer awareness program that ran
throughout the month of October, or Breast Cancer Awareness
Month Nearly 11,000 visitors to the campaign page
learned about the campaign, donated to the effort and
purchased This Duck Wears Pink merchandise, including a pink-
clad Aflac Duck Sales totaled $50,000, with 100 percent of the
net proceeds going to the AACR
Aflac’s first-year commitment to Breast Cancer Awareness
Month and the American Association for Cancer Research was
a great success in 2014, thanks to a multifaceted campaign:
• A dedicated website, www thisduckwearspink com,
provided campaign information and promoted merchandise
sales, raising nearly $50,000
• An internal campaign encouraged employees to support
the effort by purchasing This Duck Wears Pink-related
merchandise
• Aflac agents received This Duck Wears Pink-themed kits
and collateral to use during their fall enrollments
• Aflac sponsored the AACR Conference
• Social and traditional media communications efforts
included a press release leveraging #thisduckwearspink on
Twitter and Facebook
• This Duck Wears Pink advertising ran in People Magazine,
Women’s Health, Fit Pregnancy, the Food Network and
Everyday with Rachael Ray
• This Duck Wears Pink was tagged in Aflac’s broadcast
advertising during October
Childhood cancer patient Austin Freeman introduces the Aflac Holiday Duck to his much larger balloonicle buddy!
Women of Aflac, touched by breast cancer, stand arm in arm, making it very clear that when it comes to fighting breast cancer, this duck wears pink!
18
Building our Communities the Aflac Way
In 2014, the employees at Aflac’s headquarters in Columbus,
Georgia, built their ninth house for Habitat for Humanity
Meanwhile, the team at Aflac Group in Columbia, South Carolina,
renovated its first Habitat home
Aflac prioritizes community involvement and encourages
employees to reach out to those in need Perhaps that’s why
participation in our Habitat for Humanity builds is so popular:
Lotteries are held to determine who will get the chance to hone
their construction skills, and more than 1,800 members of Aflac’s
dedicated team have strapped on their hard hats since 2007
This year, a family of four in Georgia moved into their newly
built home just prior to the holiday season The house was built
in 18 days by crews working full eight-hour shifts
Commitment throughout the country
Aflac on Wall Street
Who knew that growing a beard could have a major
impact on children with cancer? The men on Aflac’s Global
Investments team in New York City dropped their razors
in November and raised a whopping $11,336 for the Aflac
Cancer Center The funds will be used to help improve the
treatment and research of children’s cancer
Aflac in Albany
Not to be outdone by their colleagues at headquarters and
Aflac Group, 2014 marked the first collaboration between Aflac
in Albany, New York, and Habitat for Humanity Thanks to the
hard work of volunteers, the Aflac House was completed in late
2014 and the crew is looking forward to picking up its hammers
for another build
Also new in Albany last year was the Charity Challenge, in
which employees competed to win money for the charities of
their choice Contributions went to organizations such as the
Wounded Warrior Project, HH Ranch, the Regional Food Bank
of Northeastern New York, the American Cancer Society and
the Alzheimer’s Association
The annual Habitat for Humanity build is a source of great pride to our headquarters staff in Columbus, Georgia. Each year there is a waiting list of employees wanting to do their share.
Stop shaving to help cure children’s cancer? Seems like a great investment – and these guys know a lot about investing!
Anything you can do I can do better ... Aflac New York has its own plan to build a Habitat House for a family in need.
19
Aflac New York also continued its standing partnerships with
the American Cancer Society, the Albany County Department
of Youth and Family Services, the Literacy Volunteers of
Rensselaer County, the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the
Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York
Aflac in the Heartland
Aflac employees in Omaha, Nebraska, turned into
construction workers by breaking ground on their first
Habitat for Humanity home Construction began in 2014
and was completed in April 2015
The team also conducted quarterly fundraisers to help raise
money for children and families fighting cancer at the University
of Nebraska Medical Center
The office made the holidays happier for area children by
selling passes allowing employees to wear jeans to work,
holding traditional bake sales, and organizing raffles and
lunches Through these activities, employees raised money to
purchase more than 250 gifts for 51 children But their chari-
table efforts didn’t stop there: The Nebraska Charity Challenge
provided another opportunity for Omaha employees to give to
their community Over a three-week period, employees earned
Aflac Foundation dollars for the charitable organizations of their
choice These dollars were awarded based on job perfor-
mance, overtime hours and the outcomes of several challenges
organized by the Human Resources team
Each week, employee dollars were added up and the total was
donated to charities including the Wounded Warrior Project,
the Omaha Public Library, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and the
Urban League
Aflac Group in Columbia, South Carolina
Aflac’s commitment to childhood cancer extends beyond the
Aflac Cancer Center in Atlanta In fact, in 2014, Aflac Group
Insurance in Columbia, South Carolina, made a five-year,
$500,000 commitment to Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital
for the endowment of a chair for their Pediatric/Hematology
unit In 2013, Children’s had 4,354 encounters with children with
cancer and various types of blood disorders, with 880 patients
either on active therapy or in follow up Of that total, 428 were
Hematology/Oncology patients and 452 were patients with
Sickle Cell disease Each year, an average of 40 to 45 new
oncology patients are diagnosed at Palmetto Children’s
Aflac Nebraska says, “Not so fast.” Just like their colleagues in Columbus and New York, they put their pens and pencils down for a few days and helped build a family’s future through Habitat for Humanity.
Six-year old Matthew Dinslage, a cancer patient at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, gives a full inspection of the 2014 Aflac Holiday Duck. Word is that the plush version met all of Matthew’s specifications.
Continued page 20
Dr. Ronnie Neuberg (second from left) poses with the Teal family and MSNBC anchor Craig Melvin, who served as master of ceremonies at the 2014 Duckprints event held at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital.
20
The team at Aflac Group in Columbia, South Carolina,
renovated their first Habitat for Humanity Home in 2014 In
addition to enjoying the satisfaction that comes from helping
others, employees delighted a family of three by remodeling
a bathroom, replacing flooring, painting, making minor repairs
and adding a porch to their home
Aflac Group also showed its compassion for children in need
by serving as the leading sponsor for the Midlands March of
Dimes Jeans week, bake and breakfast sales, change buckets
and other activities helped the company raise more than
$37,000 Aflac Group received several awards for its efforts,
including New Large Company Raising the Most Money and
2015 Presenting Sponsor In addition, Aflac Group Accounting
Specialist Tiara Jenkins was named 2015 Midlands March of
Dimes Team Captain of the Year
Aflac Group Insurance in Columbia South Carolina also
supported educational programs in 2014, including the
EdVenture Children’s Museum, which brought a new exhibit
called Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice™ into town The program
was sponsored by Aflac, opened on June 7 and was initially
scheduled to run through September 14 The very popular
exhibit was extended through October, giving children and
adults alike the opportunity to see what life was like when the
T rex and raptor roamed the earth
Aflac Execs Would Never Duck a Great Cause
The Ice Bucket Challenge spread virally on social media in
2014, and Aflac executives joined in Led by CEO Dan Amos,
nine of Aflac’s executive officers chilled out for a great cause
The Aflac Duck even got in on the act by successfully
challenging his fellow marketing icon, the Geico Gecko, to
take a shivery shower
No need to worry, though The water poured onto the Aflac
Duck came right from his pond – and there was no ice, of
course But like the true star he is, the Duck emerged unruffled
Aflac made a donation to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Foundation, or ALS, to help find a cure for what is commonly
known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Aflac CEO Dan Amos (middle) is all wet! But it was for a great cause. The Ice Bucket Challenged helped raise more than $115 million for the treatment and research of ALS.
Aflaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaac!
Continued from page 19
Accounting Specialist Tiara Jenkins proudly named March of Dimes Team Captain of the Year
21
Aflac SmartGreen®
Just as we at Aflac strive to be good stewards of our business,
we also strive to be good stewards of our planet The Aflac
SmartGreen® philosophy outlines our corporate commitment
to wisely choosing, using and disposing of the resources we
use each day Although Aflac’s environmental impact is minimal
due to the nature of our business, we’re always looking for
innovative ways to reduce that impact
As a large, publicly traded company, Aflac recognizes its
responsibility for leading the way in eco-friendly business
initiatives From the materials we use in our daily operations to
the construction and renovation of our facilities, we carefully
consider the environmental footprints our actions will leave –
not only today, but in the years to come In recognition of our
efforts, Aflac is proud to have been included on the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index for four consecutive years
The Aflac Board of Directors Sustainability Committee leads
our SmartGreen efforts and is committed to doing business in
an environmentally conscious manner that includes not only
streamlining our business operations, but also reducing paper
consumption by communicating and delivering our services
online whenever possible
Online Services
• Aflac provides reports, invoices, statements, policies and
other customer communications electronically for our
home office employees, sales associates, policyholders
and payroll accounts
• In 2014, we introduced direct deposit for our policy-
holders’ claims payments By doing so, we reduced the
expenses incurred in printing and shipping claims checks
As an added bonus, our customers receive their claims
payments more quickly – just when they need them most
Offering direct deposit also aligns with Aflac’s efforts
to reduce its carbon footprint and supports “Go Green”
efforts If just 20 percent of our customers elect to receive
claims payments by direct deposit, we’ll save more 16,000
pounds of paper; prevent 153,000 gallons of wastewater
from discharging into streams, lakes and rivers; and keep
18,000 pounds of solid waste out of landfills
• Aflac encourages its customers to do business online This
includes using our electronic submission and servicing
tools These efforts save millions of sheets of paper and
hundreds of thousands of dollars annually Additionally, our
e-Policy system, which enables policyholders to receive
policies electronically, saves Aflac nearly $1 million
Pioneering, Protecting and Prospering since 1955 the Aflac Way
Continued page 22
PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT THE AFLAC WAY
22
• Aflac’s sales force uses Aflac SmartApp® Next Generation
software to process 94 percent of new-policy applications
More than 72 percent of this new business is processed
and issued with no manual assistance from corporate
employees Not only does this save paper, but it also
streamlines service for our policyholders
• More than 84,000 sales associates receive their
commission statements electronically and more than 76
percent of system-generated reports are designed to be
viewed online rather than printed
Teleconferencing
In 2014, an average of 3,300 meetings per month took place
via Web-enabled teleconferences Teleconferencing not only
helps the company save on travel costs, but it also increases the
productivity of teams spread out across the U S and Japan by
encouraging frequent communication
Carpool, Telework and Alternative Work Schedules
Aflac partners with the Clean Air Campaign to encourage “clean
commuting ” Employees receive incentives to share rides or
reduce trips to office buildings These include designated
special parking spaces on each campus for carpoolers, motor-
cycle riders, and hybrid or electric car owners
Print Operations
Marketing brochures and mass-produced literature is printed on paper from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests In 2014, 83 percent of our printed materials were printed on FSC-certified paper, which puts us well on the way to reaching our goal of 90 percent
Facilities Management
• Aflac continually monitors and reduces resource and utility consumption We have earned ENERGY STAR recognition for 84 percent of all eligible corporate property, including the building that houses our data center Additionally, we followed the U S Green Building Council’s LEED for Commercial Interiors guidance in the renovation of a five-story main campus building and received gold-level certification upon completion
• Ernst & Young audited Aflac’s Scope I and II emissions reports and certified them with a letter of attestation To improve our standings, we have subscribed to the Carbon Disclosure Project to allow us to benchmark our resource use against the world’s largest collection of self-reported climate-change data
ISO 50001
Aflac was the first insurance company in the U S to be ISO 50001 Energy Management System-registered ISO 50001 represents the latest best-practice thinking in energy management The international standard outlines top energy-management practices and helps organizations develop policies for more efficient use of energy, identify targets and objectives to meet those policies, use data to better understand and make decisions about energy use, measure their results and continually improve energy management
Energy Savings
Through sustained and deliberate energy-saving measures, Aflac has reduced its energy consumption by 38 percent per square foot since 2007 We’ve achieved this by:
• Implementing energy-saving strategies as buildings are remodeled For example, we’ve installed LED lighting fixtures; task-light motion sensors in cubicles; and motion sensors in restrooms, copier rooms and parking garages
• Powering down heating and cooling systems, parking-lot lights and nearly 5,000 computer monitors during off hours
• Virtualizing 80 percent of our server environment This allows for fewer physical servers, better space management, reduced power consumption and significant cost savings In addition, our IT department raised the temperature in the data center, reducing energy usage and costs associated with air cooling
Nothing is more important to Aflac than the safety and security of our employees. Aflac recently installed LED lighting in its parking lot at the Aflac Support Center in Columbus, Georgia. The results are in, and not only is our parking lot brighter and more secure, but there are other benefits as well, including:
• $17,500 in annual savings.• Annual energy savings of more than 166,000 kWh.• Reduced load by 76 percent, or 49 kW.• Reduction equivalent to 120 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.• Reduction equivalent to growing 3,000 tree seedlings for 10 years.
Continued from page 21
23
Waste Management and Recycling
• Aflac works to minimize the amount of waste generated by our operations and to recycle much of the waste we produce Our recycling efforts have increased from 57 percent of all solid waste in 2009 to 70 percent in 2014, and we annually divert approximately 1 5 million pounds of waste from landfills
• Aflac partners with DART, our polystyrene food-container supplier, to lease a foam densifier Employees and the cafeteria management on the Columbus campuses separate polystyrene food and drink containers from the waste stream They are compacted into 40-pound cores and shipped to Michigan, where they are reduced to pellets and reused to make hard plastic products such as CD cases, rulers, outdoor furniture and decking
• Aflac uses an ORCA food digester that turns food waste from the company’s cafeteria into gray water, which can be disposed of through city sewage systems The food digester diverts up to 40,000 pounds of food waste from landfills each year
• Aflac’s print operations team uses a vacuum system that vents paper cuttings from the workroom floor to a paper baler on the loading dock The system frees up floor space and helps maintain a clean production environment, supporting the company’s lean manufacturing 5S initiative It also increases recycling revenue, generating three to four bales of scrap every day that weigh approximately 1,200 pounds each
• Aflac also recycles plastic, aluminum, paper, newspaper, magazines, ink cartridges, batteries and fluorescent light bulbs
Recycling by the Numbers
Recycling is an important pollution-prevention activity that reduces our burden on the environment and makes Aflac a better, more responsible neighbor in our communities Aflac encourages employees to recycle paper products and much more, including:• Newspaper • Cardboard • Fluorescent lamps • Toner and ink jet cartridges • Microfilm and recording tape • Ceiling tiles • Computer equipment • Pallets • Plastic bottles
• Aluminum • Copper • Steel • Iron • Batteries • Carpet • Polystyrene
Our recycling program is already reaping rewards for our business and the environment Not only does it help us reduce our business costs, but it also generates significant savings: • 1,169,791 pounds (522 tons) of paper• 9,534 barrels of oil• 4,094,268 gallons of water• 35,094 pounds of air pollution • 1,930 cubic yards of landfill space• 2,398,072 kWh of electricity — enough to power the average home for 82,140 days
Employees: Going Green the Aflac Way
Aflac’s Green Committee, now in its seventh year, is made up of employees from each of the company’s corporate offices The committee is responsible for developing programs and initiatives that raise employee awareness of Aflac’s commitment to the environment It sponsors events throughout the year that educate and encourage environmentally friendly and respon-sible lifestyles
At the annual Earth Day Celebration, local organizations and businesses at all four major Aflac office locations introduce products, tools and community programs that make green living a little easier.
Continued page 24
24
Each year for the past four years, the committee has hosted an Arbor Day Tree Giveaway in cooperation with Trees Columbus The giveaway provides free trees to employees -- more than 2,500 trees to date The initiative helps Trees Columbus fulfill its mission to build and maintain the tree canopy in the city Employees in more than 20 locations outside of headquarters also received free trees from the National Arbor Day Foundation The semiannual Free Cycle Event enables employees to donate, trade and reuse office supplies, saving dollars and redistributing inventory Since the initiative began in 2009, Aflac has saved more than $60,000 on office supplies
E-Waste Recycling Drives, held frequently at the Columbus and Nebraska offices, encourage employees to appropriately dispose of personal electronic waste, keeping more than 14,000 pounds of electronic waste and potentially hazardous materials out of landfills Additionally, the IT Division recycled more than 60,000 pounds of electronic equipment in 2014
Help the Hooch is an annual cleanup day to beautify streambeds and prevent garbage from contaminating the Chattahoochee River Employees and their families participate in this Columbus community event as an Aflac team
To assist in green initiatives, the Green Committee enlists volunteers from the Green Team, a larger group of employees dedicated to the sustainability initiatives developed by the Green Committee The Green Team volunteers at various programs and events, offers ideas to committee leaders and provides an on-site sustainability presence in all of Aflac’s buildings
Aflac was rated in the well above the industry average for supply chain management and operational eco-efficiency in
the 2014 Dow Jones Sustainability Index survey
“We are proud to have secured a place on the Dow Jones Sustainability-North America Index for the fourth consecutive year,” said Alfred Blackmar, Aflac’s vice president of Facilities and chair of the Green Committee “This recognition validates that operating a strong business and focusing on social responsibility go hand in hand ”
Aflac is a founding member of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council The group supports and recognizes purchasing leadership that accelerates the transition to a prosperous and sustainable future Aflac’s engagement with the council’s members and programs helps Aflac purchasers better understand the social, environmental and economic impact of their purchases SPLC also helps Aflac identify and apply existing leadership standards and approaches to improve its
purchasing behavior and benchmark its progress
During the company’s annual Earth Day celebration, Aflac gave away several nice prizes. Chief among them was a free home energy assessment from Georgia Power. Paste the link below into your browser and see how Aflac’s Sharon Baker found out how she could save money while conserving energy in her home.
http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/sponsorvideo/saving-energy-at-home-georgia-power-outreach-pro-gram-educates-aflac
Continued from page 23
25
AFLAC JAPAN THE AFLAC WAY
26
27
Aflac Japan’s Commitment to Philanthropy
In 2014, Aflac Japan celebrated its 40th anniversary and
remained passionate about its commitment to corporate
citizenship Aflac Japan is deeply committed to numerous
philanthropic programs and its employees are good
stewards both within their communities and on behalf of the
environment
Aflac Japan’s Commitment to Fighting Cancer
Aflac Parents House
The first Aflac Parents House was established in 2001, and
since then the facility has continued to provide cheerful
and spacious accommodations to pediatric patients and
their families When children are diagnosed with cancer or
other serious medical conditions, they often must travel from
other parts of Japan to Tokyo or Osaka to receive treatment
Through generous donations from Aflac Japan’s sales agents
and employees, two Aflac Parents House locations in Tokyo
and one in Osaka have helped more than 10,000 families of
children battling cancer and other serious diseases These
facilities are a home away from home while patients battle
cancer or other serious medical conditions
“You have cancer,” are devastating words no one – especially
not a teenager – ever expects to hear But unfortunately those
were the words an oncologist said to Yuta Ietsuka (pictured
with his mother) and his family 10 years ago when he was
diagnosed at the tender age of 16 The news meant it would
be necessary for Yuta to leave the picturesque and familiar
mountain town of Kamisuwa in Japan’s Nagano prefecture
to undergo a series of treatments in Tokyo, which is about
three hours away by train Yuta was no stranger to taking
on challenges; as an avid baseball player, he was used to
playing to win and would accept nothing less But he would
be in for the fight of his life as he took on this life-threatening
disease With sheer determination, outstanding medical care,
spirituality; and support from friends, family and the Aflac
Parents House, Yuta won his battle with cancer and remains
in remission Even while he was undergoing many difficult
treatments, he remained optimistic about his ability to recover
To provide comfort and encouragement for himself and other
patients staying at the hospital, he turned to music and played
his favorite red guitar
Throughout a very challenging year of treatment in Tokyo, the
encouraging smiles and unending support of the staff at the
Aflac Parents House helped provide a setting in which Yuta, his
parents and two siblings summoned the strength to overcome
his treatment journey Today, Yuta is a successful, hardworking
young man who is living his dream of playing baseball and
making music
TOMODACHI Initiative
In January 2013, Aflac announced its participation in the
TOMODACHI Initiative, a public-private partnership led by the
U S -Japan Council and the United States Embassy in Tokyo
The initiative invests in the next generation of Japanese and
Americans through educational and cultural exchanges as well
as leadership programs The goal is to strengthen relationships
between the United States and Japan over the long term
Aflac’s involvement in the TOMODACHI Initiative is in the
area of pediatric cancer research and treatment Beginning in
June 2013, Japan-based pediatric cancer specialists arrived
at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta on a rotational basis to observe and
share best practices related to the care and treatment of
children with cancer The pediatric specialist program lays
the foundation for broader understanding of research and
treatment protocols for childhood cancer, enhancing commu-
nication and cooperation between U S and Japan cancer
specialists
Aflac Charitable Trust Scholarship Fund for Cancer Orphans
Not only is Aflac Japan committed to children with cancer, but
it also supports those who have lost a parent to cancer The
Aflac Charitable Trust Scholarship Fund for Cancer Orphans
was established to help high school students who have lost a
Children’s cancer doesn’t recognize borders, which is why Aflac has established the TOMODACHI initiative that brings the best and brightest from Japan and the U.S. together to help improve the way we treat and research terrible disease that impacts too many families on both sides of the world.
Continued page 28
28
parent to cancer better afford the cost of attending high
school Each year, the program allocates funds to eligible
recipients who have faced economic hardship and have
met specific scholastic requirements Upon receiving the
scholarship, students are given ¥25,000 per month until
their graduation from high school, with the funds desig-
nated for education and living expenses More than 2,000
students to date have received this scholarship
Cancer Awareness and Prevention
Aflac Japan’s partnership with national and local govern-
ments and organizations strengthens its commitment to
helping communities Through these alliances, Aflac Japan
increases cancer awareness, promotes early detection and
educates the public on prevention
Each year since 1994, Aflac Japan has hosted a benefit
concert to support children and their families who are
fighting childhood cancer The event is held in various
locations in Japan and features an array of talented
entertainers Those who donate at the concert receive an
Aflac Duck in gratitude So far, more than 140,000 people
have participated in these concerts and approximately
¥58 million has been raised All proceeds go to hospitals,
research efforts and childhood cancer support groups
Aflac Japan has also contributed to exhibitions focusing on
cancer prevention and treatment Since 2004, exhibi-
tions sponsored throughout Japan by the Gold Ribbon
Campaign have featured informative displays and videos
as well as pediatric cancer patients’ artwork The Gold
Ribbon Campaign is an initiative established in the United
States to help promote awareness about pediatric cancer
as well as to raise funds for pediatric cancer research The
initiative is in its early stages in Japan, but support from
organizations and companies is increasing
Dementia Prevention Awareness
Aflac Japan sponsors the Symposium on Dementia
Prevention, which was founded in 1989 by the Mainichi
Shimbun and the Dementia Prevention Foundation This
event provides citizens with the opportunity to openly
discuss long-term care issues and features a panel
discussion with local government officials as well as
lectures by dementia experts
In addition, Aflac Japan sponsors the Sawayaka Welfare
Foundation, which hosts forums throughout the country
that promote the creation of local networks to help the
aging This foundation pioneered a system in which people
earn credits for helping senior citizens in their commu-
nities They can exchange those credits for help with their
own elderly relatives in distant locations or for themselves
in times of need
As part of the annual Chronicles competition sponsored by
the Japan Medical Association and the Yomiuri Shimbun,
Aflac presents the Aflac Award to individuals who write
outstanding essays about their own health care or medical
experiences or those of their families
Social Contribution Activities
Aflac Japan is dedicated to giving back to the community
and believes doing so has contributed to its successful
reputation Since 1993, Aflac Japan employees have
devoted their time and resources to various fundraising
activities
One such activity is the “One Hundred Club,” in which
the company matches the amount employees specify
they wish to have deducted from their monthly salaries
Funds are allocated to the Aflac Kids Support System,
Gold Ribbon Campaign support groups, and global and
environmental organizations Approximately 80 percent of
Aflac Japan employees participate, and approximately ¥23
million was donated in 2014
In addition to financial donations, Aflac Japan employees
and agents give selflessly of their time through various
volunteer initiatives For example, Aflac Japan has
participated in blood donation initiatives since the 1995
Kobe earthquake Through these initiatives, Aflac Japan
employees volunteer to help blood donation campaigns
throughout the country, especially during the month of
February when Japan’s blood supply is limited
Continued from page 27
29
AFLAC 2014 SERVICE AND RECOGNITIONS
30
Daniel P. Amos, chairman and CEO, has seen Aflac revenues grow during his 25-year tenure from $2.7 billion to $22.7 billion as of December 31, 2014. Mr. Amos is responsible for launching the company’s national advertising program featuring the popular Aflac Duck, making Aflac a top national brand that has been named by FORTUNE magazine as one of America’s Most Admired Companies 14 times. Aflac has also attained the distinction of being the only insurance company to appear for 17 consecutive years on FORTUNE’s list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. In 2014, Aflac CEO Dan Amos was recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics. It is the second time Mr. Amos has received this honor. Dan currently serves on the board of directors of the House of Mercy in Columbus, Georgia.
Paul S. Amos II, Aflac president, served on the board of directors for the Turner College of Business at Columbus State University, the Brookstone School Board of Trustees, the board of the Georgia Research Alliance and the Duke University Divinity Board of Visitors.
Kriss Cloninger III, president; chief financial officer, has been named three times as the Best CFO in the Insurance/Life category in America by Institutional Investor magazine. He is a member of board of directors Precept Ministries and is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries.
Teresa White, president of Aflac U.S., was honored in 2014 with three very special awards: She was included on the Network Journal’s list of 25 Influential Black Women in Business, received the 2014 Woman in Healthcare Leadership Award from the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) and was honored by Insurance Networking News as one of the Top 10 Women in Insurance Leadership. Teresa is a fellow at the Fellow Life Management Institute.
Charles D. Lake II, president of Aflac International and chairman of Aflac Japan, serves as a member of the board of directors for the U.S.-Japan Business Council; president emeritus, American Chamber of Commerce in Japan; director, America-Japan Society; member and board of directors, Peterson Institute for International Economics; member and board of directors, Coalition of Service Industries; member and board of directors, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation; member and board of governors, Pacific Forum, Center for Strategic and International Studies; member and board of directors, Japan Center for International Exchange; councilor, International House of Japan; member, advisory board, Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo; trustee, Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai); and member, Antimonopoly Study Group of the Japan Fair Trade Commission.
Audrey B. Tillman, During her tenure at Aflac, Executive Vice President and General Counsel Audrey Boone Tillman has been selected by The Network Journal as one of their 25 Influential Black Women in Business awardees. She was named one of the Top 100 Blacks in Corporate America by Black Professionals magazine for two consecutive years and received the Office Depot Visionary Award, which recognizes her dedication, leadership ability and commitment to achieve business success, shape the direction of her community and help improve the lives of women.
Susan Blanck, Aflac executive vice president, Corporate Actuary, serves on the board of the Society of Actuaries and as president of President of Kids Cambodia, Inc., which is a nonprofit organization supporting children, families and communities in Cambodia.
Eric Kirsch, Aflac executive vice president, Global CIO, serves as a trustee of the Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation and sits on the board of directors at the Baruch College Fund.
Dan Lebish, Aflac executive vice president, chief operating officer, Aflac Group, sits on the board of trustees for Claflin University, the board of directors for Palmetto Health Foundation, the board of directors for Central Carolina Community Foundation, the board of directors for SC Chamber of Commerce and the board of directors for SC Urban League.
31
Laree Daniel, chief operations officer, was honored with Black Enterprise Magazine’s award or the 50 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America.
Eric Selden, president of Communicorp and senior vice president of Business Services, currently serves on the Columbus Regional Health Foundation Board, The Chattahoochee River Club Board and the Harris County High School Council.
Tom Giddens, Aflac senior advisor, serves on the board of directors for the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation.
Todd Daniels, Aflac senior vice president, serves on the board of directors for Midtown Inc., which works to build community, to sustain and revitalize neighborhoods, and to grow and strengthen the MidTown business community in Columbus, Georgia.
Alexander Stephanouk, Aflac senior vice president, Internal Audit, serves on the board of directors of the Family Center of Columbus as treasurer as well as the board of the Institute of Internal Auditors Columbus, GA Chapter.
Catherine Blades, Aflac senior vice president of Corporate Communications, serves as chairperson of the national board of directors for Operation Homefront, a not-for-profit organization that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of those deployed and wounded warriors.
Andrew J. Conrad, senior vice president and general counsel, Aflac Japan, serves as a trustee for Run for the Cure Foundation, a trustee for the American School in Japan, vice president for the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan and as a member of the board of governors for the National Center for APEC.
June Howard, Aflac chief accounting officer, was recog-nized by ExecRank as a Top Chief Accounting Officer in 2014 following two years of research and feedback from evaluation committees and top chief accounting officers.
FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For and World’s Most Admired Companies are registered trademarks of Time Inc. and are used under License. FORTUNE and Time Inc. are not affiliated with and do not endorse products or services of Aflac.
Z150544 6/15
aflac com | 706 596 3264 or 800 235 2667
Aflac Incorporated | 1932 Wynnton Road
Columbus, Georgia 31999
